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FJ Chalke Electric Cars FJ Chalke Electric Cars FJ Chalke Electric Cars

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing an electric car from FJ Chalke can hopefully help you save money and also reduce your carbon footprint. Due to lower running costs, the choice of electric models on the market and increasing concerns about air quality and climate change these cars are becoming an attractive option.

Our Electric Specialists can help and guide you throughout your transition, they will answer any questions you may have regarding the types of electric vehicles, their benefits and what financial support is available to help buy one.

What is an electric vehicle?

A vehicle powered only by electricity, also known as a ‘pure’ or 100% electric. The vehicle is charged by an external power source, ie at a chargepoint. These vehicles do not produce any tailpipe emissions. Examples of a 100% electric vehicle include the Nissan LEAF, Kia e-Niro and Fiat 500e.

So, whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint, or simply wish to lower your running costs, there are plenty of reasons to go electric and making the switch is much simpler than you might think.

What are the benefits of electric vehicles?

While the initial upfront purchase price of an electric vehicle can be higher, this is usually offset by lower running costs.

Electric vehicles offer savings including:

  • There are fewer mechanical components in an electric vehicle compared with conventional vehicles, which often results in lower servicing and maintenance costs.
  • 100% electric vehicles have a zero rate of road tax (vehicle excise duty)
  • Zero emission vehicles attract lower charges from clean air zones being implemented around the UK and London’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ).
  • Free parking for electric vehicles is available in some towns and cities!

Electric vehicles myths busted

Let our Electric Specialists bust those myths for you, we appreciate it can be hard to make a decision about whether an electric vehicle is right for you. No need to worry, we can help.

Myth: You can't drive very far in an EV

Actually, the Kia e-Niro and Soul EV have a real-world range of more than 280 miles - the distance from London to Newcastle. That's plenty when you consider that 98% of journeys in the UK are less than 50 miles - which would leave you with around 82% charge remaining.

Myth: There's nowhere to charge EVs

Most vehicle charging is done at home or at work, so the majority of drivers wake up or leave work without having to think about charging on the road. If you do need to charge on the road, there are more than 30,000 public charge points in the UK across more than 10,800 locations1.

Myth: They take too long to charge

It's very rare that you need to charge an electric car from empty - the majority of the time you're just topping up. However, if you did want to charge from 0%, a 7kW home or workplace charger will charge an e-Niro to full in around 10 hours. If you're on the road, a 100kW rapid charger will give you 80% charge in just 45 mins - perfect time to stop for a break or grab a coffee after 280 miles of driving.

Myth: They're too slow

A few seconds behind the wheel of an EV is enough to debunk this myth. Electric vehicles, such as the Kia e-Niro, produce maximum torque at all revs, so only need one forward gear. This means instant, rapid acceleration without needing to find the correct gear first. As a result, the Kia e-Niro sprints from 0-62mph in just 7.8 seconds.

Myth: Electric cars are too expensive

Electric cars usually have a slightly higher P11D price, but this is offset by the plug-in car grant and considerably reduced running costs. EVs have lower Service, Maintenance and Repair costs, cost significantly less to fuel and could save you thousands of pounds per year in BIK tax alone. You can also deduct the full cost of your vehicle from your profits before tax through First Year Allowance2. When you look at Whole Life Costs, electric vehicles can cost considerably less than traditional cars.

(1) Zap-map.com/statistics
(2) https://www.goultralow.com/fleets-and-businesses/tax-benefits/

Read More from Kia

How do you charge an electric vehicle?

You can charge your electric vehicle at home using a home charging point, or you can use one of 30,000 public chargers in over 11,000 locations. Did you know? There are now more charging points in the UK than petrol stations!

Questions about the cost of charging, and how long it takes to charge an electric car are common and the answers can depend on the type of charger your car has.

There are three charging point variations:

Slow Charging

Slow charging is a very common method of charging electric vehicles, used by many owners to charge at home overnight. However, slow units aren’t necessarily restricted to home use, with workplace and public points also able to be found. Because of the longer charging times over fast units, slow public charge points are less common and tend to be older devices.

Fast Charging

Fast chargers tend to be found at destinations such as car parks, supermarkets, or leisure centres, where you are likely be parked at for an hour or more. The majority of fast chargers are 7 kW and untethered, though some home and workplace based units have cables attached.

Rapid Charging

Rapid chargers are the fastest way to charge an EV, often found at motorway services or locations close to main routes. Rapid devices supply high power direct or alternating current – DC or AC – to recharge a car as fast as possible.

Talk to us

Support for purchasing an electric vehicle

We would be more than happy to discuss the Government Grants which are available to reduce the initial purchase cost of electric vehicles, plus the cost and installation of charging points (The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) are responsible for these grants).

The grant provides up to:

  • A maximum of £2,500 provided the car has CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 112km (70 miles) without any emissions at all.
  • 20% of the cost of a van, up to a maximum of £8,000.

The grant is automatically deducted from the retail price when an eligible vehicle is purchased, so you have no additional paperwork to complete!

Meet Your Electric Specialists

For more information on the Electric cars, how they can benefit you and the latest offers, please call one of our Electric Specialists:

Electric Cars

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